Archive for the ‘Kit Singleton’ Category

One of the first things you’ll do as a new business owner is create a website or blog. Choosing a template is one of the first steps in this process. This task can be quite frustrating because of the vast number of templates available. These tips will help you avoid common newbie mistakes when choosing your first website template.

Know your website’s purpose – When deciding on a template it helps to know how you plan to use your your site. Will it be used to manage frequent article posts or will it be used less often to notify your business customers of updates? Will it be a simple “about me” page where you will list links to all of your ventures? The purpose of your website will help determine and prioritize your template requirements.

More than aesthetics – Many new business owners tend to choose their website template based entirely on the template’s color or the included picture. Even though you may find something you like, there is more to a great website than a pretty color or picture. In most templates, it is fairly easy to change the colors and graphics so keep these template requirements low on the priority list.

Features are important – Knowing the kinds of content you will be adding will help you decide what features you will need. Do you plan on including video or audio? Consider choosing a template or theme which has these built-in features. Will you be adding many navigation links and graphic ads in the sidebar? Get a template with a wide sidebar or even two sidebars. Place the feature requirements at the top of your list.

Browser compatibility – Check your template in several browsers. Your website may not be centered in one browser but is centered in another. Don’t take it for granted that it will look the same in each of them. You may also want to check your site on different computers. If you don’t have an additional computer, ask a friend to take a look at it for you.

Just because you use a specific browser, it doesn’t mean that your customers will use the same one. Personally, I use the Firefox browser. The people who visit my mom/family sites tend to use IE while the people who visit my virtual assistant site tend to use Firefox. You never know what browser your customers will be using. This is why you need your website template to view correctly in a variety of browsers. Browser compatibility should be one of the top two priorities on your list.

These are only a few of the things to consider as you look at the available templates. Finding just the right one may not be an easy thing to do. Some will suit your needs better than others depending on your requirements. The key to finding the right template is to know what you are looking for and how to prioritize your needs. Use these tips when choosing your first website template to get your new business started in the right direction.

One of the first hurdles that business owners face is the anxiety that often goes along with starting a new business or project. Just as you need a toolbox with the appropriate items to fix household problems, you need a stress relief toolbox to fix the problem of feeling overwhelmed.

Starting your first online business or branching out into a new area can cause you to feel stressed out and overwhelmed. Ideally, stress is a positive factor that starts a flow of adrenaline, which can give you additional energy to complete the task at hand. This is the “fight” response, you may have heard about.

Sometimes, though, the stress seems unbearable and the adrenaline flow only makes things worse. This is the “flight” response. It’s during this time that you are tempted to just throw your hands up and quit. Don’t quit! Fight new business anxiety with a stress relief toolbox.

What is a stress relief toolbox?

Generally speaking, a stress relief toolbox is a box which contains items that sooth your nerves, calm your fears, and reduce your level of anxiety or stress. Each toolbox is as unique as its owner because everyone responds to different things. What one person finds calming, another may not.

Creating your toolbox

To create a stress relief toolbox, you’ll need a large box with a lid. You will also need comfort items to go inside the box. These items should always be kept in the box and used only during stressful moments. Here are a few items you may want to consider adding to your toolbox.

• Journal a journal is a great place to write out your feelings and help put you in a better place mentally.
• Photo album this can include photos of your family, pets, or happy times where you weren’t feeling stress. Make duplicates to keep with your regular family photo albums.
• Funny movies you’ll want at least two funny movies to make you laugh. Laughter is one of the best stress relievers. Remember to buy an extra copy of each to keep in your box.
• Soft glow and fragrance take the phone off the hook, fill your bathtub with your favorite bubble bath, and light some candles.
• Music to soothe find a CD or two of nature sounds that you can play while you’re relaxing in the tub. You can also play some music that reminds you of a happier time. Don’t choose music that will remind you of a broken relationship; that defeats the purpose.

There are many things you could include in your stress relief box. Hopefully, these will get you started and inspire other tools. The whole idea is to remove yourself from the cause of the stress, redirect your thoughts, and give yourself time to put things into perspective. When you take time to fight new business anxiety with a stress relief toolbox, you’ll feel more refreshed and able to continue with your work.

Many new business owners have big dreams and ideas. They have great visions of their product or service selling like hot cakes. These visions may or may not pan out. It is possible for one product to fall short of sales expectations while a similar product breaks sales records. Whether you are a new business owner selling your first product or an experienced business owner, you want a high sales volume. To maximize your profits, you need to know the secret to increasing your sales volume.

Two factors play a role in increasing your sales volume. The first is product quality. Since you’ve been following Alice’s internet marketing advice, you are probably already familiar with what quality products should include. Let’s talk about the other factor, trust.

The Trust Factor

Sales are not solely based on the product or its benefits. Trust and the reputation of the business play a large part in the number of sales you make. According to Howard Schultz, founder and CEO of Starbucks, “In the 1960s, if you introduced a new product to America, 90% of the people who viewed it for the first time believed in the promises made. Today, if you performed the same exercise, less than 10% of the public would believe the promises were true. The fracturing of trust happened because the consumer has been let down.”

There is nothing more important than developing customer trust. Unless customers feel that they can trust you to be as good as your word, you aren’t likely get the number of sales you want. Ideally, you want to build trust with customers before the sale. This can be done in a variety of ways, which include writing to your email list, business blogging, sharing testimonials from customers, granting interviews, etc. There is also another time when you can build trust and that is after the sale.

Are you ready for the secret? Here it is…

For many customers, what happens after the sale is just as important as the benefits of the product. A product, which includes customer support, will usually outsell a product which has poor or little support. Maintaining an excellent customer service department is one of the things that can make your sales skyrocket. It adds credibility to your business reputation while building trust with your customers.

Think of customer service as your own public relations department. When the person who handles that area has good “people skills,” a customer’s bad experience can be turned into a good one. They can also elevate a satisfied customer’s high opinion by taking time to answer questions. This means more sales for every product you offer.

Most of your customers will never need to contact your service center. Those who do may have a question or a problem that needs prompt attention. Some customers may be angry or frustrated when they contact you. This is when the quality of your customer service can mean the difference between having high sales or no sales.

From a customer’s perspective, there is almost nothing worse than buying a product only to find that the support for it stinks. Include good customer support with every product or service you sell and you’ll see your sales increase by leaps and bounds. By the way, feel free to share the secret to increasing your sales volume, but only with your closest friends.